Pelosi, impeachment, trade agreements

I think that making a deal on the USMCA was probably the price for impeachment.
Some of us are blaming Pelosi for the problems of her caucus. 

Just how deep does the rot run on the Democratic side?

Democratic Nomination Shambles

So Harris is out, and Steyer is still in. The faces in the next Democratic debate will all be light-skinned and male. I did not and do not love Harris. But why is she out, and why is Castro out, and why is Booker out, and Steyer still in?

The Democratic Party's Presidential nomination process is a shambles. And a shout-out to the Supreme Court Justices who made sure that the only way to become a Presidential candidate is to buy your way in.

Bemused Observations on Washington State Initiative 976

Small minority of Washington State voters in an off year: property taxes are too high, we must limit them.

City departments of transportation: we cannot afford to repair and expand our streets.

Transit agencies: we can't afford to run buses, let alone actually build the rail system we need.

State legislature: let us allow the cities and transit agencies to add taxes to car tabs.

Small minority of Washington state voters in an off-year: car tabs are too expensive. we must limit them.

Self: I think we need to change our motto to "The Evergreen Pothole State” and the state song to “The Tim Eyman Memorial Bridge.”

Bitter Environmental Croaks: Things We Cannot Say

(At least, without provoking huge fights. Also on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RavenOnthill/status/1196302838604812288?s=20.)

The environmental movement went overboard in its opposition to nuclear power. We failed to compare its risks to expanding fossil fuel usage, and the world is worse off as a result.

We have too many people partly because of patriarchy, because too much of the world treats women as brood mares.

It seems to this old bird that our ruling class, or whatever you want to call it, has decided to settle our environmental problems the good old-fashioned way – via the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Penalties for storming a House hearing in a classified space

This is a rough list of possible charges and penalties for the various crimes committed by the House Republicans now occupying the secured space in the House. At the very least, all the communications devices they brought into the space ought to be confiscated and destroyed by secure procedures.

Interfering with testimony, 18 U.S.C. 1512: 

(d) Whoever intentionally harasses another person and thereby hinders, delays, prevents, or dissuades any person from: (1) attending or testifying in an official proceeding […] or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.

Breaching a classified space, 18 U.S.C. 793:

(a) Whoever, for the purpose of obtaining information respecting the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information is to be used to the injury of the United States, or to the advantage of any foreign nation, goes upon, enters, flies over, or otherwise obtains information concerning any […] place connected with the national defense […] Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

Reprimand, censure, or expel, U.S. Const. art. I, §5, cl. 2:

Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member.

Under current House rules, the House Democrats can censure or reprimand by majority vote, in addition to expulsion.

Republicans Storm Impeachment Inquiry Hearing In Stunt

 Link

This was a meeting of the House Intelligence Committee, which is leading the impeachment investigation, to take classified testimony from Laura Cooper, the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia.

This has to be a crime. Does anyone know what the possible penalties are? Can a majority of the House remove these members?

Morning Croaks

Who would have thought that foreign governments would be the biggest beneficiaries of Citizens United? There's Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and the gods only know who else. Thank you, Roberts Court.

— Raven Onthill (@RavenOnthill) October 22, 2019

Could we hand Trump over to a Kurdish court for justice?

— Raven Onthill (@RavenOnthill) October 22, 2019